Oil-switch.



PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

I H. P. BALL.

OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSESz UNITED STATES Patented. May 24, 1904.

PATENT @rrrcs.

HENRY PRICE BALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL INCANDESOENT ARC LIGHT COMPANY, OF NEVY YORK, A CORPQ- RATION.

OIL-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,602, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed March 10, 1902.

To all whom it perry-concern:

-York city, county and State ofNew York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to oil-switches of the type specially adapted for use with hightension polyphase currents, although such switches may be used in any system of dis tribution.

My invention consists, essentially, in locating in separate insulated oil-wells the'terminals of a conductor forming a leg of-a polyphase distribution system. is For instance, in a threephase system (three legs) I would employ six independent oil-wells, and in providing means whereby the separated terminals of a leg may be bridgedthrough contact devices moving in the separated oil-wells within which the opposite terminals of a leg are situated to complete the circuit through a leg of the system, and, further, whereby all of the bridging devices may be operated simultaneously to open or close all of the legs of the system at one and the same time.

The object of my invention is to insure that when the circuit is broken between pairs of terminals destructive arcs will not be formed between such terminals and generally to provide for the safety of the system.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a switchboard and a pair of oil-switches mounted on the back of the switchboard. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing two pairs of oil-switches connected to a single operating-handle on the switchboard.

Similar numerals indicate like parts.

5 indicates aswitchboard. Projecting from the back of the switchboard is a bracket 6, and depending from this bracket are the removable oil-wells 7 These wells are preferably made with a metal shell 8, provided with a lining of non-conducting material, such as glass or fiber. The upper end of each well is provided with projecting cars 10, which coact Serial No. 97,676. (No model.)

with suitable sockets and rings 11and12 on the bracket 6. By means of this arrangement the wells may be readily detached from the supporting-bracket 6. Mounted on the supporting-bracket 6 are the insulators 13, in which are carried the conductors 14, 15, 16, and 17 Depending from oppositely -disposed pairs of insulators are the contact-clips I8.

These'clips are held at a definite distance as regards each other by means of a non-conducting bar 19. I

Mounted upon each bar 19 is a frame 20, and pivoted in a depending plate 21 on such frame is a knife-blade 22 of such length that when oscillated it will coact with a contact 18 to the right or left of the oil-well within which it is located. The upper ends'of the knife-blades 22 of the switches (in the present case four, Fig. 2) are pivoted to a lever 23,

adapted to be moved forward and backward horizontally and connected at its outer end to a bell crank 24 on the front of the swi-tch' board. The rear end of the bell-crank is provided with a series of notches 25, which coact with a spring-pressed pin 26.

' 1 do' not limit myself in any wise to the means described for supporting the oil-wells. They may be supported, as shown,-by means of a bracket orby any suitable frame, and the wells may or may not be detachable. The wells may be arranged in tandem, as shown, or otherwise. Neither do 1 limit myself in any wise to an oil-switch having two contacts in each oil-well, as there may be only one contact, the present drawings showing a double throw switch, nor to the means shown for oscillating the knife-blades, as various means may be employed, actuated mechanically, electrically, or otherwise.

The operation of my device will be readily understood. The parts are shown in the drawings with the circuit open. When the handle is moved upward to the position indicated in the dotted lines, the knife-blades 22 of all the pairs of switches in each leg of the system will be rotated forward. The circuit in this instance through one pair of switches would be from conductor 15, through knife-blade 22, conductor 14, knife-blade 22, to conductor 16,

thereby closing the circuit in one leg (all of the legs) of the system, or if the handle is retated downward the circuit would be by conductor 15, knife blade 22, conductor 14, knife-blade 22, t0 conductor 17, which closes the same leg of the circuit.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In combination with the conductors of a distribution system and the interposed connecting means between the switches, a pair of switches in each leg of the system, each switch comprising a removable oil-well, a pair of oppositely-disposed suspended contacts, and a pivoted knife-blade; and means for producing simultaneous movement of the knife-blades.

2. In combination with the conductors of a distribution system and the interposed connecting means between the switches, a pair of switches in each leg of the system, each switch comprising a removable oil -well, a cover therefor, a pair of oppositely-disposed contacts depending from said cover, and a pivoted knife-blade; and means for producing simultaneous movement of said knife-blades.

3. In combination with the conductors of a distribution system, a pair of oil-wells in each leg of the system, a fixed contact and a moving knife-blade in each well, a conductor interposed between a fixed contact in one well and a moving knife-blade in the other well, and means for simultaneously moving the knife-blades.

4. In combination with the conductors of a distribution system, a pair of oil-wells in each leg of the system, each oil-well carrying one terminal of a leg, a contact in each oil-well, a reciprocating knifeblade in each oil-well, means for producing simultaneous reciprocation of the knife-blades, and stationary means for establishing fixed electrical connection between the circuit-terminals, contacts and the knife-blades external to the switches.

5. In combination with the conductors of a distribution system, a pair of oil-wells in each leg of the system, each oil-well carrying a fixed contact and a movable contact, a movable contact in one well connected to a terminal of the distribution system,a fixed contactin the other well connected to the other terminal of the distribution system, a conductor interposed between a fixed contact in one well and a movable contact in the other well, and means for simultaneously actuating the movable contacts.

6. In combination with the conductors of a distribution system, a pair of oil-wells in each leg of the system, a pair of fixed contacts and a moving contact in each oil-well, a conductor interposed between the fixed contact of one oil-well and the moving contact of the opposite oil-well, and means for simultaneously reciprocating the moving contacts of both oilwells to cooperate with one or the other of the pairs of contacts in each oil-well.

7. In an electric switch, the combination with a switchboard, a bracket-support projecting from said switchboard, two oil-wells supported by said bracket, switch mechanism havingone portion located in one oil-well and the other portion in the other oil-well, and a single means for acting upon said switch mechanism to open or close the circuits in which it is interposed.

8. In an electric switch, the combination with a switchboard, a bracket-support projecting from said switchboard, a pair of removable oil wells suspended from said bracket, switch mechanism carried by said bracket independently of said oil-wells, and situated partially in one oil-well and partially in the other oil-well, and a single means for actuating said mechanism to open and close the circuits controlled thereby.

9. In an electric switch, the combination with a switchboard, a supporting-bracket, a pair of oil-wells suspended from said bracket, switch mechanism carried by said bracket and immersed part in one oil-well and part in the opposite oil-well, an operating-handle mounted on the front of the switchboard, and means interposed between the handle and the movable portions of the switch mechanism for simultaneously actuating said movable portions to open or close circuits.

10. In an electric switch,the combination of a removable oil-well, a cover therefor, a pair of oppositely disposed contacts suspended from said cover, a non-conducting bar sepa-.

rating said contacts, aknife-blade pivotally supported on said non-conducting bar, and means for reciprocating the knife-blade.

11. In combination with the conductors of a distribution system, a pair of connected oilwells in each leg of the system, each oil-well carrying two terminals, one connected to one leg of the system and the other to a separate leg of the system, a moving knife-blade in each oil-well, and means for simultaneously moving said knife-blades to cause them to coact with one contact in each oil-well and thereby close a circuit through one leg of the system.

In testimony whereofIaffix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY PRICE BALL.

I/Vitncsses:

JOHN CLINTON DONAIIUE, l. l/VERTHEIMIJR. 

